--- title: "Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026: visas, requirements and tax" url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/ lang: en updated: 2026-10-12 --- Stari Most, the Old Bridge of Mostar, over the Neretva # Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina 10 ways to move to Bosnia and Herzegovina in our guide: 1 investor route, 1 business / startup route, 5 work visas, 1 student visa, 2 spouse visas. No digital nomad visa. Checked against official sources on 12 October 2026. **Longest first stay:** **2 years** Blue Card Bosnia and Herzegovina offers a mix of residence routes for people with a clear connection to the country, whether through property, business, work, study or family. Visas and tax are separate matters: a residence permit does not decide your tax position, and tax residency is assessed by the entity where you live. People with family roots or close family in Bosnia and Herzegovina Founders ready to build a company and employ local staff Degree-qualified professionals with a senior job offer Researchers with a hosting agreement at a BiH organisation Spouses and close family of BiH citizens or settled residents ## Investing · 1 ### [Property owner permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/property-owner/) **First stay:** 1 yr Can work: limited Needs health cover [Details](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/property-owner/) ## Business / Startup · 1 ### [Company founder permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/founder/) **First stay:** 1 yr Can work: yes Needs health cover [Details](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/founder/) ## Work · 5 - [Blue Card **First stay:** 2 yrs](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/blue-card/) - [Researcher permit **First stay:** 1 yr](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/researcher/) - [Seasonal work permit **First stay:** 6 mo](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/seasonal-work/) - [Intra-company transfer **First stay:** 1 yr](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/intra-company/) - [Work permit **First stay:** 1 yr](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/employment/) ## Student · 1 ### [Student permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/student/) **First stay:** 1 yr Needs health cover [Details](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/student/) ## Spouse visas · 2 For people married to, or in a partnership with, a citizen or permanent resident. ### [Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/spouse-of-citizen/) **First stay:** 1 yr Can work: yes Needs a place to live [Details](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/spouse-of-citizen/) ### [Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) **First stay:** 1 yr Can work: yes Needs health cover [Details](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) ## Tax Income tax in Bosnia and Herzegovina is set by the entities rather than by the state, and residence is decided separately by each entity, usually through presence over the threshold, a permanent home or your centre of life interests. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, while non-residents are taxed on income earned in the entity. The rates and treatment of foreign-source income therefore depend on where you live and your personal circumstances, so take advice once you know your entity. Standard rules ### [Personal income tax: 10% in the Federation, 8% on employment pay in Republika Srpska, with 31% employee contributions in both](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/tax/#tax-ba-pit-ordinary) Worldwide income **Details** - On: Worldwide income of residents - Who: Federation of BiH: income tax is paid at a flat 10% - Limit: BAM 3,600/yr ≈ $2,060 Income tax in Bosnia and Herzegovina is set by the entities: the Federation taxes income at 10% after a KM 3,600 a year basic deduction, and Republika Srpska taxes employment pay at 8% after a KM 1,000 a month deduction; employee contributions are 31% of gross pay in both entities, deductible from taxable pay in the Federation but not in Republika Srpska. Residents are taxed on worldwide income. #### Taxed on Worldwide income of residents; income earned in the entity for non-residents. Federation: employment pay after compulsory contributions and the personal deduction. Republika Srpska: gross employment pay (contributions are not deducted) after the personal deduction. #### Who it applies to - Federation of BiH: income tax is paid at a flat 10%, and a resident is a person with residence or one who stays 183 or more days, continuously or with breaks, in the tax period. - Federation of BiH: taxable income is reduced by a basic personal deduction of KM 3,600 a year (KM 300 a month), plus factors of 0.5 for a spouse, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 for the first, second and third child, 0.3 for another dependent family member and 0.3 for own or a dependant's disability, applied to that basic amount. - Federation of BiH: compulsory contributions paid from pay (pension, health and unemployment insurance) are deducted from employment income before tax. - Federation of BiH: maximum employee contribution rates are 17% pension and disability, 12.5% health and 1.5% unemployment, 31% in total, charged on gross pay. - Republika Srpska: tax on personal earnings (employment pay) is 8% of the tax base and tax on self-employment income is 10% from 1 January 2022; the base is gross employment pay and the personal deduction is KM 12,000 a year (KM 1,000 a month). - Republika Srpska: employee contributions are 18.5% pension and disability, 10.2% health, 0.6% unemployment and 1.7% child protection, 31% in total, paid by deduction from the gross base; they are not deducted from the income tax base. - Republika Srpska: a resident has a permanent home, or stays 183 or more days in 12 months starting or ending in the tax year, or has a permanent home and centre of life interests there. - Each entity taxes residents on income from other entities and countries, and non-residents only on income earned in the entity. #### Exclusions - Non-residents (fewer than 183 days) are taxed only on income earned in the entity. #### Limits - BAM 3,600 a year (≈ $2,060) · Federation of BiH basic personal deduction (KM 300 a month) - BAM 1,000 a month (≈ $570) · Republika Srpska personal deduction on employment pay (KM 12,000 a year) #### Days in the country - At least 183 days in tax period (Federation of BiH) · Staying 183 or more days in the Federation, continuously or with breaks, in any tax period makes a person resident. - At least 183 days in 12 months starting or ending in the tax year (Republika Srpska) · Staying 183 or more days in Republika Srpska in a 12-month period starting or ending in the tax year makes a person resident. #### Tax residence Residence is decided separately by each entity: 183 or more days of presence, or a permanent home or centre of life interests. #### Visas Immigration status does not set tax residence; the day count applies to any permit holder. #### Other taxes Contributions are 31% of gross pay for the employee in both entities; value added tax and corporate profit tax are levied separately by the entity and state authorities. In the Federation, employer contribution rates were lowered from 1 July 2025 (pension from 6.00% to 2.50% and health from 4.00% to 2.00% in the employer-charge category of Art. 10(2)); the 31% employee rates are unchanged. Checked against official sources on 11 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) [Full page →](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/tax/) Checked against official sources on 11 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) **No digital nomad visa in Bosnia and Herzegovina.** Remote workers usually look at [Property owner permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/property-owner/), or [nomad visas elsewhere](https://settleanywhere.com/visas/digital-nomad/). **Path to permanent residence · 1** - **PR after 5 years** · Permanent residence (Law on Foreigners Arts. 79-80) ## Arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina: first steps 1. Arrange health insurance in BiH, as most routes ask for proof of cover. 2. Secure accommodation and keep proof of address for your application. 3. Gather your passport, photos and any medical certificate or police clearance the route requires. 4. Register your address with the local authorities once you have a place to stay. 5. Open a bank account if you need to show means of support or company solvency. ## Questions people ask ### How much do you need to invest for residency in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Bosnia and Herzegovina has 1 investor route. [Property owner permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/property-owner/) gives a first stay of 1 year that can be renewed. ### Can I move to Bosnia and Herzegovina by starting a business? Bosnia and Herzegovina has 1 business or startup route. [Company founder permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/founder/) gives a first stay of 1 year that can be renewed. ### What work visas does Bosnia and Herzegovina offer foreigners? Bosnia and Herzegovina has 5 work visas. [Blue Card](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/blue-card/) gives a first stay of 2 years that can be renewed. [Researcher permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/researcher/) gives a first stay of 1 year that can be renewed. [Seasonal work permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/seasonal-work/) gives a first stay of 6 months that can be renewed. ### How do I get a student visa for Bosnia and Herzegovina? Bosnia and Herzegovina has 1 student visa. [Student permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/student/) gives a first stay of 1 year that can be renewed. ### Can I join my spouse or partner in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Yes. Bosnia and Herzegovina has 2 spouse visas. [Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/spouse-of-citizen/) gives a first stay of 1 year that can be renewed. [Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) gives a first stay of 1 year that can be renewed. ## Compare with [🇵🇹 Portugal](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/) [🇪🇸 Spain](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/spain/) [🇬🇪 Georgia](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/georgia/) [🇮🇹 Italy](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/italy/) [🇬🇷 Greece](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/greece/) [🇩🇪 Germany](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/germany/) [🇫🇷 France](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/france/) [🇬🇧 United Kingdom](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/united-kingdom/) ≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.